Deep within this monitoring room filled with "science" and "order"—
A man stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing out through an enormous floor-to-ceiling observation window.
He wore a crisp red military uniform, golden epaulets of pure gold on his shoulders symbolizing absolute authority. His imposing figure radiated overwhelming pressure; even just his back view emanated the dominating presence of a supreme ruler.
He was the mastermind behind all of this, the Supreme Commander of Shadaloo—Bison!
Before him, the massive observation window wasn't ordinary glass but a one-way energy screen. From here, the entire coliseum's spectacle was laid out before him.
He was like a god on high, coldly observing the "mortals" below who fought to the death for fame and glory.
A smile played on his face—like a cat toying with mice.
"What a magnificent sight..." he murmured in a magnetic voice. "Anger, desire, pride, defiance... these powerful negative emotions are flowing continuously into my network. My Psycho Power Drive rejoices and dances for this."
"General." A middle-aged man in a white lab coat, appearing to be the project director, approached respectfully from behind, presenting a data report.
"This is our preliminary energy assessment of all S-rank and above targets detected in the backstage area. Three targets require your special attention."
"Oh?"
Bison slowly turned around.
His face was covered by an authoritative mask, revealing only a pair of eyes that gleamed with purple malevolence. That gaze seemed capable of piercing souls, drawing out their deepest fears.
He took the data report, his purple eyes scanning the screen rapidly.
"Ryu... inheritor of the Ansatsuken's Surge of Power, with the seed of Satsui no Hado dormant within him. Mm, a decent vessel. Could be used as a test subject for experiments fusing Satsui no Hado with Psycho Power."
"Akuma... the completed form of Satsui no Hado. Pure embodiment of combat. Heh, an unruly demon. Once my Psycho Power Drive is fully activated, I'll personally tame him and make him the sharpest demon blade under my command."
Bison's tone brimmed with absolute confidence.
As if Ryu, Akuma, and all these fighters who seemed like gods and demons to the common people were merely chess pieces and raw materials to be manipulated at will in his grand scheme.
Then his gaze fell to the end of the report—a target marked in red text as "Unknown—Extremely Dangerous."
The screen displayed Cloud's face, wearing a lazy smile.
"Who is this man...?" Bison's brow furrowed slightly.
"Report, General. This individual's identity is unknown," the researcher answered nervously. "His name is Cloud. Nationality unknown. Origins unknown. It's as if he appeared in Hong Kong out of thin air. We've infiltrated every database on the planet and found zero information about him."
"Appeared out of thin air?" A gleam of interest flickered in Bison's eyes. "Interesting."
"What's stranger is... his energy readings." The researcher's voice carried a note of fear and confusion. "Our sensors detected dozens of completely different—even mutually conflicting—energy signatures within him simultaneously! Fire, lightning, psychic energy, and even an unanalyzable unknown energy filled with destructive intent!"
"His energy readings are extremely unstable. When calm, he's no different from an ordinary person. But earlier, when Akuma appeared, the energy fluctuations within him instantly spiked to a level beyond our instruments' measurement capacity! It even briefly disrupted our entire venue's monitoring system!"
"We suspect... there may be a true monster sleeping inside him."
After hearing the researcher's report, Bison felt not the slightest fear or concern.
On the contrary, his purple eyes blazed with an unprecedented fervor and greed—like Columbus discovering the New World!
"Ha ha... ha ha ha ha!"
He suddenly burst into laughter, the sound filled with excitement and joy, making the monitoring room's alloy walls hum and vibrate!
"A monster? No, no, no—this isn't a monster..."
He reached out as if trying to touch that distant figure through the energy screen.
"This is treasure! The most perfect gift the gods have bestowed upon me!"
"One body capable of containing so many different, such powerful forces! This... this is practically custom-made for me—the most perfect vessel!"
Bison's breathing quickened. His powerful Psycho Power leaked outward uncontrollably, forming purple electrical arcs crackling through the air.
He could already imagine: if he could obtain Cloud's body and fuse it with his own Psycho Power, refined to its ultimate form—what would that be like?
Then he would no longer need external tools like the "Psycho Power Drive"!
He himself would become a walking "god"! A truly omniscient, omnipotent, immortal, indestructible existence!
"Go!" Bison issued commands to the researcher behind him. "Raise this man's surveillance level to maximum! I want to know his every move! Every word he speaks! Even the data from every breath he takes!"
"Also, arrange the tournament brackets. I want him to face as many of those interesting specimens as possible. I want to see with my own eyes just how many more delightful treasures are hidden inside that perfect vessel of his!"
"Yes, General!" The researcher acknowledged the order and immediately left to execute it.
The monitoring room was left with Bison alone.
He turned his gaze once more to that figure below—completely unaware of any of this.
A smile of greed and absolute certainty spread across his face, like a collector who'd finally spotted his long-coveted "limited edition figurine."
"Cloud... is it?"
"What a perfect name. What a perfect vessel..."
"Your body, your power, your interesting soul..."
"Soon, all of it will become part of me, Bison!"
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